The 21st-ranked University of Redlands baseball program came up short against familiar foe and No. 9 Chapman University on Thursday night during the teams' second outing during the NCAA West Regional Championships in McMurry University in Abilene, TX.

Redlands came out firing on all cylinders as it took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. After the 1-2-3 hitters all reached safely to start the game, junior first baseman Jon Cavender (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) and junior designated hitter Ben Saunders (New River, AZ) each stepped up with run-scoring hits.

However, the Bulldogs' advantage was short-lived as the Panthers immediately answered by ripping off five runs over the next three innings.

Sophomore third baseman Jason Henning (Redlands, CA) worked to change UR's momentum when he sliced an RBI-double down the left-field line in the top of the fourth. Junior catcher Landon McMath (Riverside, CA) came up with a great situational ground out to plate Henning, decreasing Chapman's lead to one run.

The Bulldogs had a big opportunity in the sixth as they packed the bases with no outs, but the club was unable to capitalize due to a fly-out and a double play by the Panther defense.

Chapman answered the Bulldogs' threat by recording a combined three runs in the sixth and seventh, and never looked back.

Sophomore pitcher Kyle Hart (Burbank, CA) started on the hill for the Maroon and Gray, going three innings while giving up four earned runs on five hits and four walks. Fellow sophomore reliever Paul Dippel (East Granby, CT) came out of the pen for 2.2 innings while juniors Trenton Lively (La Verne, CA) and Brock Jacobo (Yuma, AZ) finished out the game.

Chapman's senior Jordan Sigman went the distance in a complete-game victory, dispersing 11 hits but allowing only four runs.

All but one of the Bulldog starters collected a hit with Saunders and Henning each registering a multi-hit game. Unfortunately, the Maroon and Gray also left 11 runners on base.

Redlands (30-12) now faces Concordia University (TX) in Friday's elimination game at 12 noon CDT at Walt Driggers Field. The winner faces Chapman in the 7 p.m. game later that night.